Canton AS 25

Advantages Quality of life, stunning scenery
Disadvantages Cost of living, occasional small-mindedness

...be up to a whopping £7,000pm. But fear not, because if you're working, the average wage is close to £30k - Swiss wage structure is extremely compact, with the bottom end earning more than in most countries, whilst the top executives earn substantially less than their British or American counterparts. (But don't be fooled, it's still more than enough to live comfortably.) Despite the high wages, tax rates are famously low. It depends on which council (gemeinde) you live in, but it generally ranges from 15-25%, an amount split between federal, cantonal (state) and local authorities. You can generally see where the money goes - in Kusnacht, one of the extremely well-to-do gemeinde's on the lake's north side, when the snow falls, the roads are cleared away by 7am the next morning, ready for the residents to head off to work. But just up... Read review